Rampling It Up

Alexa Chung on her style icon, Charlotte Rampling. Plus, see all of Alexa Chung's guest-edited issue of harper by Harper's BAZAAR here.

By Alexa Chung

Feb 13, 2015

Paolo Di Paolo/Camera Press/Redux

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Charlotte Rampling utterly captivates me. I've never met her, and I must confess to seeing only a handful of her performances, but I still hold her dear as a personal-style icon.There is something inherently strong about her face. She looks intelligent, commanding, and perpetually elegant. I like to imagine that she eats men for breakfast. Take this photo, for example. She's wrapped in a shaggy fur, teasing the lens with a come-hither look. It would be difficult for a man to objectify her—it's clear that Rampling is the one in charge. I scoured the Internet for quotes she had given, and while I found numerous examples of her dissecting the art of acting or waxing lyrical about grief, dreams, pain, and beauty, this is the one that really stood out for me: "I did that film [Spy Game, 2001] just so I could kiss Robert Redford." Charlotte, I salute you.